Utah’s Kodachrome Basin State Park is a geologically fascinating place. There are lots of rock spires throughout the park, including Chimney Rock (in the photo). Scientists aren’t sure about how they are formed, but one theory is that ancient hot springs tossed up hard minerals and then, over many years, the softer rock around them eroded away.
There were some cows grazing nearby when we stopped here. They seemed unimpressed by the scenery.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (or GSENM) is hard to pronounce. I think I would have called it “Awesome Desert Adventure Place for Travelers” (ADAPT).
Anyway, Dad and I put his new Subaru through its paces and spent a day on Cottonwood Road (40 miles of dirt road) and had a great time. I really enjoyed our hike in Hackberry Canyon with sheer red cliffs on either side.
One thing I have realized is that there is so much to explore in this part of the country that I probably will never do all of it.
I have mixed feelings whenever I encounter any of the big dams made by the Bureau of Reclamation back in the 20th century. On the one hand, Glen Canyon Dam and the water in Lake Powell behind it make it possible for people to live in large numbers in places like Arizona (and for me to visit). On the other hand, think of the priceless legacy of side canyons and Native American cultural sites lost underwater. The explorer and advocate for the Southwest, John Wesley Powell (1834-1902), foresaw some of the problems that massive development in the desert would cause and did his best to alert politicians in Washington, D.C. I’m not sure how much they listened.
Speaking of Major Powell, we encountered a four year old boy named Wesley in a coffee shop in Page, Arizona. His mother said he was named after Powell.
Lee’s Ferry used to be the only way to cross the Colorado River in this area. That was the case until the Navajo Bridge was opened in 1929.
It crosses Marble Canyon and if you look over the railing you can see rafters and kayakers below. (The signs warn against throwing rocks.)
It’s also a border of sorts. On the west side of the river you have Arizona, on the east side the Navajo Nation. The interesting thing is that the Navajo Nation observes Daylight Savings Time whereas Arizona remains on Mountain Standard Time all year long. So, when it’s 12:00 on one side of the bridge, it’s 1:00 on the other.
Maybe the Dine people want to make a point that they’re independent and sovereign, distinct from the larger political culture. Speaking of culture, we had dinner in a Navajo-owned restaurant in Page, Arizona. We ate “Navajo tacos” wrapped in fry bread instead of tortillas. Delicious!
If I were unfamiliar with this area, I would be traveling south on the Kaibab Plateau thinking that it’s a nice pine forest, but what’s the big deal?
I can imagine a newcomer’s jaw dropping when suddenly out of nowhere a massive gash in the earth appears. It’s the Grand Canyon.
One of the cool things about this place is that the rock layers tell the history of millions of years of geology. All the way from the Kaibab Formation to the Vishnu Basement Rocks by the Colorado River. Geologist must love studying this place because you can see the layers so clearly.
